


Elysian

by whorror_jpeg



Category: Bandom, Twenty One Pilots
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-20
Updated: 2016-07-20
Packaged: 2018-07-25 16:52:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7540489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whorror_jpeg/pseuds/whorror_jpeg





	Elysian

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [stay in place (sing a chorus)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1822504) by [SoloChaos](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoloChaos/pseuds/SoloChaos). 



Joshua. Tyler had remembered his name clearly. He hadn't met a Josh before and the name was interesting to him. Not special, he'd remind himself, there was always going to be an infinite number of Joshua's out there. Ones with the same tattoo, nose piercing, and stubble. Tyler hadn't seen him since he'd found Josh out next to a creek he thought only he knew of. At first, he thought the boy was part of the water, with his hair dyed a now fading blue. He all but screamed and made the birds fly away when Josh started moving.

 

 

"You scared the hell out of me!" Tyler said, grasping his chest and panting loudly.

"You should be all set for heaven then, right?"

At the time, Tyler didn't know Josh had been joking, so in response he got angry.

"Why are you out here, huh? Are you purposely scaring people?" Tyler huffed.

"Hm?" Josh tilted his head. "Oh, no, that's just a bonus."

 

 

Tyler laughed at his little memory and how childish he was being. He now knew the blue haired boy and how fond he was of him. When he was with Josh, there weren't any tics or twitches. No scratching at the back of his head that told him to count or have things in a certain order- nothing. It was peace.

 

 

"No, that would make perfect sense! Space is infinite. Sand grains can be counted!" Josh exclaimed.

"But there's so much sand!"

"And that's what makes this universe so awesome. Can you imagine, millions of us are out there. Some of us in the future, some in the past, some sitting right here where we are in a different reality, a whole different galaxy. Some of them could be watching our every move! Tyler, we could be in a movie or TV show, or-or a band!"

The thought that someone could be watching them irked Tyler in every way possible. He started looking over his shoulder frequently as Josh rambled on, scratching his head and arms, shaking his leg...

"Ty? Tyler! You're bleeding!"

Tyler looked down at his arms, which indeed were bleeding. His scratching had become so awful he began scratching layers of skin, peeling back flesh until he was thoroughly bleeding and raw.

"It's nothing. I'm fine." Tyler said, getting up and falling back down. His head spun. The world around him was going a hundred different directions at thousands of miles an hour. His head hurt.

"No you're not. You look like you're gonna be sick, man!" Josh stood in front of Tyler. 

"Feels that way, too." Tyler rushed to get up again and vomited behind a tree, holding onto it for dear life. There was an awkward silence.

"Are you okay?"

"Does it look like I'm fucking okay?"

"You certainly look better that before." Josh said bluntly. Tyler cracked a smile and looked at Josh, who was looking up.

"Josh?"

"Well, would ya look at that."

Tyler followed Josh's gaze up the tree where a wooden house rested in between the loving branches of an old willow tree. Tyler looked at Josh, who had an overly excited look in his eyes.

"Let's explore!" he said in a childish voice.

"I dunno. It looks... Dead." Tyler frowned.

"Well, we can be dead with it. Things shouldn't be dead alone." Josh smiled, already in the middle of the wet ladder. Tyler obliged, climbing after the older boy. When he reached the top, he found Josh, slowly running his hands along the damp and soft wood.

"She just needs someone to love her, Tyler. That's all." he whispered, eyes glazed over like newly cut glass and a ghost of a smile.

Tyler stood there, right at the top and just watched as Josh admired the old wooden framework of the old wooden treehouse.

 

 

Over the next few weeks, Tyler had went straight to the treehouse right after school to help Josh make the treehouse homier. By the end of the month, they had it beautifully and simplistically done. An Arabic tapestry covered the exit, feathery blankets and pillows covered the floor with the occasional table. Solar powered lights lit up the night as the days came to a close, and a small bookshelf, cooler, and 'food basket', as the boys would call it, took up a corner of the house. They also had a name for the beautiful and old treehouse; Elysian.

 

 

"Tyler, your parents tell me you haven't been home much. Is this true?" the doctor asked.

It took him a bit to answer, "Yeah."

"Where have you been going?"

"A treehouse my friend and I found."

"Oh?"

"Mhm," Tyler responded, sucking on the lollipop to his hearts content.

"Who is this friend?"

"Josh."

The doctor nodded, "Can you describe Josh for me?"

"He's tall," Tyler began in deep concentration, allowing his memories to flood back to him of the two being intimate. 

He's got soft lips.

Strong but gentle hands.

An amazing tongue-

"How tall, Tyler?"

"A bit taller than me, but I doubt that'll be the case in the long run, considering I'm still growing." Tyler chuckled. The doctor nodded, writing something on her notepad.

"He's got wavy pastel blue hair, but not the sides. The sides are regular dark brown." Tyler remembered running his hands in through those pastel locks. He remembers how soft they were, even if Josh was sweaty.

"He's pale- practically puts the 'pasty' in 'pasty white american'." Tyler laughed. He knew that skin and how warm it was. How it easily glided on top of his own, and how it looked all the more perfect when the sunset hit his sweaty skin as the night grew close.

"How old is he?" the doctor asked.

"I... Dunno. Maybe fresh outta high school? Twenty at most."

She nodded, "how long have you known him?"

"A month, month and a half? Doctor, why are you asking me this?"

"Just trying to get the most out of this session. Now, piercings, tattoos, last name?"

"He's got a couple tattoos," Some were hidden under his shirt. "A nose piercing... I've never asked for his last name."

The doctor sighed, looking between Tyler and her notes with a sorrowful expression.

"Tyler," she tried gently. "The Josh you're seeing, he isn't real."

Tyler looked at her. She was fixing her glasses. He glared her down. He knew what he felt, he knew that Josh was real. He was warm and strong and gentle and beautiful.

"Yeah he is. We fixed that treehouse together... I met him at my creek."

"Tyler. He's not real. I promise."

Tyler stood abruptly, throwing his lollipop in the trash and walking out. His mother looked at him with concern and grabbed her purse. Tyler didn't wait for her, going to his mom's old car that was in dire need of a new paint job and waiting for it to be unlocked. His mom exited the doors, an angered look on her face.

"Are you going to tell me what the hell that was about?"

Tyler flinched a bit. His mom never yelled nor did she curse. 

"No." Tyler mumbled, glaring at the asphalt.

"Tyler. I'm not paying her to get disrespected."

He turned to her quickly, "You're barely paying for her at all! And I never fucking asked you to get me a damn therapist who says the only friends I make are made up!"

"Tyler!"

"Let's just go home."

 

 

The drive home was awful. Tyler tried to keep his anxiety down but it didn't work. The tangible feeling of intense anger and frustration, the way his mother drove and grasped the wheel harshly, how her knuckles turned white when she did, hearing her huff and puff.

Tyler got out of the car as soon as his mom put the car in park and made a beeline to his room. He could hear his mom open and slam the front door closed then talk to his dad.

The stomping was evident. He'd examined everyone's footsteps and patterns for 17 years now. He knew his father was more than 'just angry'.

"Tyler Robert, what the fuck were you thinking?!" his father began to yell.

"She doesn't believe me! No one ever fucking does!" Tyler yelled back.

"Don't use that tone with me, boy!"

"Why can't anyone just fucking believe me?!" Tyler began crying. From frustration. From pain. From built up and molding emotions.

"You are not the son I raised." his dad growled.

"I never asked to be born, Dad!" Tyler yelled through a broken voice and aching tears.

Everything happened in slow motion from there. The noise came before the pain. The crying stopped but not the tears. The touch on his skin from his own fingertips came before his mother's yells at his father. The anxiety washed over him before he pushed through his parents, his father screaming profound apologies. His brother trying to stop Tyler from leaving.

And then everything was dark. He didn't know where he was going. He felt his feet pound the earth. He felt himself tripping over roots. And he felt the heaves and tears on his body. When he opened his eyes, he was by the creek that he loved so much lying face down. The place that brought him home. His shirt and jeans were covered in drying and cold mud. Here is where he met his best and only friend, his first lover.

He lifted his head, "Josh," he cried out.

There were rustling leaves behind him.

"Ty? What happened?"

Tyler sat up slowly, pulling his legs to his chest. He looked down at his hands. They were bloodied and scraped. He laughed, however, it wasn't in fun. The laughing was fueled by the bawling because he thought it'd hurt too much to scream and hiccup and he just needed to feel a different emotion.

Arms wrapped around Tyler's frame.

"You know, sometimes I cry. Just because I need it. It helps a lot. Just let it out, Ty. Really cry. Scream if you need to." Josh whispered, rubbing Tyler's back. Tyler thought about it for a bit. He hugged Josh as hard as he could and screamed in his chest. Hiccups and inhales and sobbing. Tyler was right; it did hurt to scream.

Josh hugged Tyler and kissed the top of his head.

"It's okay baby boy. I'm always gonna be here."

 

 

Josh played with Tyler's short hair while his head was resting comfortably in Josh's lap. A nice purple bruise was beginning to form along Tyler's cheek. Josh rubbed it, mumbling an "I'm sorry" when Tyler winced.

"Have you ever thought how incredibly intricate the universe is," Josh began. "Like, the universe already knows the next step. It knows the people you'll meet. It knows all of the possible outcomes. It knows, Ty."

"Therefore everone does meet by fate?"

"Prolly."

Tyler chuckled and thought for a bit.

"My doctor didn't believe me when I talked about you."

Josh made a disgusted face, "Doctors are bullshit."

"Basically what I said to her. Then I walked out."

"What happened then?"

"Mom yelled at me, I yelled at her. We went home. My dad yelled at me. I yelled at him... He hit me."

Josh's face contorted in pure anger.

"That cunt hit you?" Josh growled.

Tyler looked up at him and nodded carefully.

"I see."

 

 

The principal called Tyler to the office the next day. It's not that the principal was intimidating, he was a nice enough guy, it's that he'd never been called to the office by said principal.

An officer and his family were there. Not his father though, and that's what stood out to him.

"Did I do something wrong?" was Tyler's first question. Zack, Jay, Madison and his mom were all red eyed and stuffy nosed.

"No baby." his mother answered.

"Then... what's wrong? Why's everybody so sad?" Tyler asked, chuckling in the middle of it.

"Tyler. Your father was in a very bad car wreck. He's being hospitalized, but there's not much they can do. I'm sorry." the officer stated.

Tyler looked bewildered, then sad, then angry. His head filled with emotions he couldn't explain.

"Everyone's always fucking sorry! If you're so sorry you'd try and help him! You'd do anything and everything to save him!" Tyler yelled, hitting his own head with the heel of his own closed fists.

"Tyler, stop!" his mom yelled, pulling his arms to his side and cradling him as he dropped to the floor.

"Momma, help him!" Tyler wailed. He knew what his father had done to him, but he didn't hate him for it. He loved his father immensely and had good memories of him.

"I'm so sorry, baby. I'm so sorry." his mother cried, sobbing.

 

 

Tyler walked aimlessly through the woods. It'd been 2 weeks since his father was officially announced dead, about a full week since the funeral.

"Where've you been?"

Tyler spun on his heels, finding Josh looking about as empty as himself.

"Dealing with death." Tyler mumbled, turning back around and walking further.

"Oh?" Josh asked, jogging up to him, "Who was it?"

"My dad."

Josh's face showed disgust, "why would you have to deal with his death? Didn't you hate him?"

Tyler stopped in his tracks and looked at Josh, "he hit me. It was an accident. Accidents happen! They're supposed to be forgiven! They're not on purpose, that's why they're called accidents!" Tyler yelled. Josh looked down at his hands and back up to Tyler with fear-ridden tears staining his eyes.

"Tyler?"

"Josh?"

"I'm sorry."

"Huh?

"Say that you hate me!" Josh yelled.

"You're not making any sense, Josh!"

"Please! You're going to anyways when I tell you, please, hate me!" Josh yelled again, tears running down his face and into his beard.

"Baby, what are you talking about?" Tyler whispered.

"Say it! Fucking say it!!"

"I can't, Josh!" Tyler yelled back, his voice cracking.

"Why not?!"

Tyler looked into Josh's watered down syrupy eyes, "because you're my one and only best friend and I love you."

He looked at Tyler, his eyes wide. Josh threw his hands in his hair and screamed as loud as he could.

"You can't, you fucking can't Tyler!" he yelled, dropping to his knees.

"And why not?!" Tyler stomped.

"Because I killed your fucking dad, Tyler." Josh stopped crying and avoided his eyes.

"I don't believe you. A crash killed him. It killed both of the drivers."

"Tyler, the universe knows what's going to happen. I killed him. I sat in that passenger seat, and I made him run into that car." Josh sighed. "Go home, Tyler. Lookup Treehouse Suicide of 2008, Ohio. Read everything and then never come back here."

Tyler looked at Josh, terror filled his mind and whole being.

"Go home, dammit!"

 

 

Tyler had never run harder. His lungs hurt. His mind hurt. He got home and got on his laptop, opening a new tab, searching what Josh had instructed.

"Joshua William Dun. Passed on January 6th, 2008."  
Obituary.

"I miss you, Josh. I hope you're happier."  
Katie Monroe on FaceBook.

"7 day missing Josh Dun found. Death by suicide. Found hanged by self under treehouse."  
Newspaper article.

"Dear Josh, it's been 3 yrs w/o u, man. I miss u. I know ur watching us and keeping us safe. Hope ur dancin dorkily nd doin a little cloud seedin up there, big guy."   
Brendon Urie on FaceBook.

"I miss u, kid."  
From Josh's father, Waylon Dun, on FaceBook.

"I miss u baby boy. I love u."  
From Josh's mother, Laura Dun, on Twitter.

"Happy birthday, big brother."  
From Josh's sister, Abigail Dun, on Snapchat.

"No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no." Tyler quickly got up and ran out of his house to the treehouse.

He screamed at the sky, "you're not dead! You're not fucking dead! Do you hear me asshole?! Come here!"

He fell to the ground and began hitting the dirt, tearing out the grass.

He hit something hard.

He looked down.

"Here lies Joshua William Dun. Loving brother, son, and friend.   
Monday, July 18, 1988 - Sunday, January 6, 2008."

'Sundays are my suicide days.' Tyler remembered. He scooted back from the rock and began hyperventilating.

"Tyler?" 

He turned around quickly.

Josh walked up to him.

Tyler wrapped his arms around Josh's legs and cuddled into his thigh.

"See? I can feel you Josh. You're warm and strong and you feel so real... Why?"

"I needed you to think that, baby boy... I did what I needed to in order to keep you happy."

"I've been chasing a fucking ghost, Josh! A ghost that I allegedly feel in love with, and my whole body hurts, Josh! Make it stop! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!"

"I just wanted to protect you, baby..."

Tyler stood up.

"No. Fuck you!" He yelled, hugging the willow that held the small, damp, wooden treehouse.

"Tyler."

 

 

"Tyler. Joshua Dun was a patient I had who killed himself." the doctor said carefully.

"Doctor?"

"Yes?"

"Do you believe in guardian angels?"


End file.
